Monday, November 28, 2016

Marianne Sciucco’s captivating YA novel, SWIM SEASON, is the “All The Right
Moves,” of swimming, illustrating the high-stakes pressure placed on premier athletes
whose collegiate hopes and dreams are pinned to success in the pool. As the
mother of a competitive swimmer, Sciucco draws from first-hand experience,
giving readers a real glimpse into the mindset of these elite swimmers, whose
bonds of friendship are tested on the starting blocks, while they also deal
with all the other demands of youth.

Swim Season is more than a story about swimming. It is a story of friendship, family loyalty, hard work, and dedication. A whopper of a book, it weighs in at just under six hundred pages. Don’t panic.
Sciucco breaks the book down into eighty-eight short, satisfying chapters that
allow readers to nibble at the book for days. I found the characters and
situations so compelling that I grabbed my tablet every time I had a moment.
Yes, it’s that good.

The book opens with tough and guarded transfer student, Aerin
Keane, walking into tryouts for Division Champions Two Rivers High School Girls
Varsity Swim and Dive Team. Divorce, and other troubles we are dying to
understand, cause Two Rivers to be the senior’s third high school. More troubling is that she’s
not living with either parents. By the time Aerin shoots off the block for her inaugural
swim at Two Rivers, we are hooked and hungry for answers.

Marianne Sciucco doles out breadcrumbs at a delicious
pace, while always keeping us at the edge of the darkness, compelling us to follow
willingly. Kudos for Sciucco’s characters, who are distinct and complex, as are their individual voices. Aside from Jordan, the team bully, the author makes it difficult to separate good girls and mean girls. All are flawed. All are compelling. All have moments of redemption. We empathize with Aerin and all these young athletes who bear adult responsibilities
and pressures while having little to no control over their environments and
family lives.

The book is a resounding testament to the complexities of
this stressful, sometimes fickle, almost always sleep-deprived, season of life, where friendships are fragile, families are complicated, and big money and entire futures are on the line. I highly recommend Swim Season. All athletes will see
themselves in the sacrifice and dedication displayed here, and people who love
a young competitor will better understand the mindset of those who do not
merely play a sport, but who identify as “athletes.”

Friday, November 18, 2016

Romance author and friend, Donna Hatch, is a military mom with a son serving in the Air Force and deployed to the Middle East. She understands how hard the holidays can be for the brave men and women who are deployed during the holidays.

Donna also knows that a good read, and just being thought of, can lessen the loneliness of soldiers far from home. To that end, she set up a book giveaway for our men and women in uniform who can't be home for the holidays this year, and asked some friends, myself included, to donate books.

Do you know a member of the military who will be deployed this Christmas? What types of books does he/she enjoy? The list of titles and genres of the donated books is available here. Choose one and enter a service members name in the rafflecopter giveaway starting November 18.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

I was honored when Marianne Sciucco, (author of the newly released "Swim Season,") invited me to guest post on the "We Are Alzauthors" blog. Marianne, and several other authors impacted by dementia/Alzheimers, began this blog "to provide resources for those living with dementia, and their caregivers." Collectively, this group offers decades of experience in living joyfully in spite of this disease. Here's the article, but please visit the site and check out my friends' books. Their stories will remind you that you are not alone.

After my father’s passing, Mom threw herself into her
farm and animals, finding purpose in the care of her “babies” and the maintenance
of her land. Progress on the book slowed when our previously happy, healthy
mother began exhibiting signs of what we assumed was depression, needing more
of our time and care. Her mood swings were erratic and her reality seemed very
skewed. She was often sick, and we suspected that her hygiene and cooking skills
were slipping, causing recurring stomach distress.

Over and over, we took
her to her internist, pulling the physician aside to express our concerns that
something was amiss. Each time, Mom charmed her, redirecting all questions
about her health and routine to another topic with the skill of a railroad
switch operator. We were always assured that she was great, and dismissed
without getting any solid help. But the changes increased, and a neurologist
finally concluded that Mom had dementia. Fear became her new reality. Fear,
frustration, and guilt became ours.

After interviews with
caregivers, loved ones, and health care providers, we realized we weren’t
alone. Although most people are impacted by dementia in some way, I was aware
of only a few books tackling the topic. I decided to ramp up the tension in my
book by placing my WWII survivor, Agnes, on the dementia spectrum, allowing me
to offer readers a glimpse into the impact of the disease on individuals and
entire families.

Soon after Mom’s
diagnosis, we found a young couple with mild disabilities who wanted more
independence. They moved into Mom’s home for a time, offering farm help and
companionship in exchange for rent. Mom believed she was helping them, and they
felt they were helping her. As a result, the three of them rose above their
limitations to lift and serve one another.

Inspired by these
observations, I spoke with counselors at the local Department of Aging to see
if we could pair people who have a home but need help, with people who could
help but need a home.

Legal barriers killed
the idea, but I decided to introduce this dynamic into the book. I turned to
two friends/family therapists to help me accurately create Noah and
Tayte—characters with alternative challenges who would similarly impact
Agnes. My mystery had now morphed into a family drama about internal
dragons—the fears and secrets we all battle.

It’s been very
gratifying to see how people are reacting to the book. Many say it hits close
to home. Readers love the characters, especially Agnes, who reminds them of
some loved one who has been similarly affected by dementia. They also mention
the hopeful, redemptive message in “The Dragons of Alsace Farm.”

On a personal note,
writing “Dragons” was cathartic and healing. Writing Agnes’s scenes helped me
step away from my concerns and see things from Mom’s perspective. Like Tayte, I
finally stopped trying to “restore” her, and learned to appreciate her for
whom, and where, she is. Like Noah, I recognize that she still remembers what
matters most—love.

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“A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday, does not know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do. We are trying to do a futile thing if we do not know where we came from or what we have been about.”-Woodrow Wilson